The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-06-16
KILLING A CONVICT.
HOW TO DEAL WITH CRIMINALS
Is 4 BURNING QUESTION.

A Thoughtful and Able Lawyer Writes
and Moralizes About the Relation of
Men to COnvicts.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRoN1CLEl
"a convict attempted to escape from the
guard at Culler's last Thursday and was
died.
This Is the announcement made in a
newspaper published in one of the coun-
ties in North Carolina few days ago. In
point of style the statement is unexcep-
tionable. 1t approaches that degree of
brevity which is said to be the soul of wit
OF course it Is not intended as such.
1t does not give any information as to
the race, color or previous condition" of
the convict" Hence it will not attract the
attention of Mr.. Gable on the one hand,
or those persons who are ever on the alert
to discover some indication of race con-
hlct upon the otler. 1t does no violence
to the XVIII Amendment. 1t does not
name the section of the State from which
he came. Hence the summary disposition
of the convict" will not awaken the in
terest of those gentlemen who are fond of
looking after the interests of the east or
the west in the distribution of public
benefits. The statement is silent as to his
age, hence those who champion the claims
of the young men Of the State will not
feel called upon to inquire into the cir
cumstance Of the shooting. 1t is equally
silent as to whether he is a product of the
"new' or the ''old South" So the fact
that he ''attempted to escape and was
shot cannot be pressed into service by
either side in the fierce contest now being
waged as to the merits of these two phases
of civilization. We can form no idea of
the conyicts political affiliations, hence
h,,, i L
ner of his taking off of any value in the
whether or not he belonged to any, or if
any, which, of the numerous "orders'
'Brotherhoods,' "Clubs,' Societies" " or
''Cnions" into which the American people
are so fond Of being initiated. Hence we
may not expect any ''orderS," ''decreeS'
or 'manifestoes" to be issued by any of
the dlgnitarles who preside over them, de-
mandlng an investigation of the facts
surrounding the transaction. And most
remarkable of all the announcement is
perfectly silent as to the denominational
relations of the ''convict.' Hence we may
be sure that none Of the various sentinelS
on the ecclesiastical watch towers will feel
that any branch of the church has been
outraged or that it is their duty to see to
it that the equilibrium of denominatonal
influence is preserved. From the state
ment we can form no idea whether the
convict was sent to work on the railroad
for stealing chicken, picking up a shoat,
or whether he had passed into more re-
fined and cultured phase of vice
The fact is that it is perfectly patent
that this person was nothing but econ
vict"-simple and plain. Well, says one,
why give yourself any further trouble
about the matter, it is the purpose of pun
lshment to prevent crime and we have the
statement made in the most positive terms
and sustained by the most unanswerabe
reason-that ''he will never do any more
so the law is vindicated-a its wisdom
made manifest to men," But somehow
thoughts and reflections are aroused bv
something in this statement. You lay the
paper down and walk up and down your
room. You are reminded that you have
not examined the ''market reports'-you
take the paper again-Iour eye falls on
the lines, and again You ask, Who was
this convict. What was he. What have
| to do with him. What relation did he
bear to mes He was probably some negro
who had stolen some property and was
rightly on the railroad, but the statement
does not say that he was a negro. He
N " have been white. Well if so, he was
once of the common people, for of
course, mice people nor their relatives
are not sent to work on railroads. This
does not satisfy you. The thought comes
up and will not down: He was a human
being, of sane mind, he had an immortal
soul. God made him-God made me. but
he had forfeited his right to live and was
justly shot. He should not have 'attemp-
ted to escape"
Whether white or black; old or young;
from the east or the west; whether he was
of my church or some other; whether
Democrat or Republican, he was a man.
a human being and the paper says he was
''shot' and HE DIED. Did any one have
any interest in the life of this ''convict?''
Did he have any relationships? Have con-
victs any business with relationsl He
may have had a father who prays to live
only long enough to see his convict son
once more before he goes down in sorrow
to the grave. But says the virtuous citi-
zen, ''men have no business raising sons
who make convicts." Well, may be not
| truly hope that you may not do so, but
as good men as you have done so. We
are not without an instance of good man
who had prodigal sOn--nor are we left
without principle by which to be guided
if we have one. He may have had a moth
era widowed mother who still loves her
son notwithstanding he is a convict -
Listen to the language from one who gave
expression to many of the noblest and best
emotions Of humanity: ''There is All en-
during tenderness in the love of mother
to son that transcends all other affections
of the heart. She will glory in
his fame and exult in his prosperity, and
if misfortune overtake him he will be the
dearer to her for his misfortune, and if
disgrace settle upon his name she will still
love and cherish him in spite of his dis
grace; and if all the world cast him off
she will be all the world to him. Think
you not then, that the mother of the econ
vict," who was shot, and will not do so
anv MORE" cares for him?
But says one, this is fancy, sentimental
l know personally, and see weekly, an old
colored woman who has grandson on the
railroad for four years for petty larceny
a boy 16 years Old, who shares her daily
wages with him, sending money to him
and in every way ministering to his wants
She is one of hundreds all over our State
The convict may have had a wife who
was under bonds to cleave to him in pros
perity and adversely, who took him for
better or for worse. Think you that this
"convict' is nothing to her?
But above all you are interested in him.
You cannot have it otherwise if you would
So sure as there is fatherhood common
to us all there is a brotherhood equally
comprehensive. AS the question was asked
of Cain, ''Where is thy brother" so it will